The Lumen Christi volleyball team’s lock-in wasn’t exactly a horror movie — but it definitely had its share of screams. As midnight came and went, the girls decided to turn off the lights and explore the school, daring each other to make it through the dark hallways.

“We were scaring each other and running around with the lights off,” said senior Bree Okoniewski. “Nobody wanted to go to bed at three because that’s the devil’s hour.” With spooky music echoing through the halls, everyone was on edge — until a loud bang on the lockers sent the entire group sprinting toward Mrs. Learned’s room.

“It was chaos,” laughed senior Bella Wrozek. “Everybody freaked out — Bree never ran faster in her life!” The pranksters behind the noise turned out to be senior Mallory Arcaro and junior Madi Allen, who couldn’t stop laughing after their perfectly timed scare. And though plenty of players jumped, junior Claire Kalahar was unanimously named the most frightened of the night.

After the adrenaline wore off, the team spent the rest of the night laughing and playing games — card games, rounds of volleyball, and a team favorite called Granny, where one person is blindfolded and has to find others by sound. By 7 a.m., the girls packed up and headed home before teachers arrived for professional development.

That fun and friendship carried right into their Dig Pink game, held in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Facing a tough Kalamazoo Hackett squad led by a 6’3″ sophomore standout Lucy Young, the Titans used their energy and togetherness to power through four intense sets.

Lumen Christi came out on top with set scores of 25-18, 25-17, 18-25, and 26-24. The Titans racked up 42 kills, led by Paige Lefere’s 11, and 37 assists, with Kendall Alley dishing out an impressive 35. Defensively, the team tallied 96 digs, with Okoniewski and Lefere anchoring the back row with 17 each.

The lock-in may have been full of harmless scares, but it also built trust — the kind that shows up when the match is on the line. What started as a night of laughter and jump scares ended with a gritty, emotional win — and proof that a close-knit team can overcome anything, on or off the court.